“Pirates are winning,” analyst Martin Murphy told me last fall, after Somali sea bandits had seized around 40 vessels in one year.
Then there was the deployment to Somali waters of two dozen warships from a dozen nations — the greatest concentration of international naval power since World War II. In early 2009, attacks were down. “We have had a great effect,” U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Terry McKnight said.
But McKnight admitted that poor weather could be keeping pirates ashore. Sure enough, the weather has now cleared, and attacks are up — to a level three times that in 2008, according to Galrahn.
Recall that Somali piracy has its roots in the 1990s, when the collapse of the Somali government threw open the doors to major foreign fishing companies to illegally enter Somali waters and fish out all the tuna, which once comprised one of Somalia’s major commodities. The first Somali pirates were fishermen who decided to render a “fine” on any boats they found illegaly fishing Somali waters.
Well, guess what. Piracy has effectively cut in half tuna hauls for major foreign fishing companies working near Somalia, according to Warships International Fleet Review. Today piracy is essentially organized crime, at sea. But the piracy mafia has inadvertently accomplished what the original pirates set out to do.
Somali pirates have every reason to be proud. Whether on purpose or not, they have defended their waters while evading the combined might of the world’s navies.
(Photo: me)
Related:
Wired.co.uk: Beating Somali Pirates at Their Own Game
Piracy War Escalates: Korean Seafarer Shot in Attack
Video: How the Littoral Combat Ship Will Fight Pirates
Offiziere.ch: Pirate Attacks Decline, but for How Long?
Proceedings: Defeating Somali Pirates on Land
Video: Kennedy Mwale’s Big (Pirate) Adventure
Who Watches the (Pirate) Watchers?
U.S. Navy Uses “Smart Power” to Fight Pirates
Exclusive Video: MV Faina Released by Pirates
Coast Guard: Prosecuting Pirates an “Excruciating Process”
Skewz: On the Trail of Pirates
C-SPAN: Somali Piracy Overview
Kenyan navy sits out pirate fight
Coasties and Marines join Navy pirate-fighters
Inside the Navy’s prison ship
Video: pirates hijack help
World mobilizes to fight pirates
Why robots can’t fight pirates
Navy’s new “soft” pirate-fighters
Pirate-fighting ship’s big problems
Japan, South Korea team up to fight pirates
Establishing a Somali coast guard?
Coast Guard’s tips for beating pirates
U.S. Navy Coordinates Counter-Piracy Fleets
Pirates Not Just the Stuff of Legends
How Pirates Get Paid
Axe vs. Pirates: Convoy!
Axe vs. Pirates: “I Fear No One but God.”
Chinese Seafarers Kick Pirate Ass
Kenyan Navy Fires Rhetorical Broadside against Pirates
Axe vs. Pirates: Everyday Kenyans Suffering Effects of Somali Piracy
Axe vs. Pirates: The Kenya Connection
Piracy Threatens Somalia Aid Effort
Axe vs. Pirates: The Panic Button
Axe vs. Pirates: Scared onto Land by Pirate Close Call
Somali Piracy Puts Squeeze on Kenyans
Mombasa Looks Like This
E.U. Deploying Vessel against Pirates
Axe vs. Pirates: Welcome to Mombasa
No related posts.
[...] As a result fishermen became increasingly desperate, turning first to vigilante patrol boats to help self-police their own waters from illegal fishing and dumping. They would storm a boat and demand “taxation” or payment for their illegal fishing or dumping. This proved so successful, that wile the economic situation at home grew even worse, many turned to piracy in order to survive and take in more lucrative catches. War is Boring suggests that pirates have cut the Somalian tuna trade in half. [...]
If the Somali pirates had only stuck to foreign fishing boats to plunder (rightfully in my mind) what would be the world’s reaction? Noting the danger of oversimplifing the situation I do wonder if a steady state could be reached if pirates decided to change tactics and simply leave legit merchant shipping alone. Would TF 151 still be asked to be on station if the Somali pirates only took poachers and dumpers?
As a Somali, I’m glad to read that illegal fishing in our waters is down and whether the world wants to acknowledge it or not, it is entirely due to the threat of hijacking that have kept these poachers off the Somali coast. It would be nice if these pirates just stick to hijacking foreign vessels that fish illegally or dump toxic nuclear waste in our waters, and leave all merchant ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden alone.
Well done on reporting this issue. One man’s pirate is another man’s tax officer, or Robin Hood even…
[...] The same may be the case for Somalian boatmen. David Axe of “War is Boring”: Recall that Somali piracy has its roots in the 1990s, when the collapse of the Somali government threw open the doors to major foreign fishing companies to illegally enter Somali waters and fish out all the tuna, which once comprised one of Somalia’s major commodities. The first Somali pirates were fishermen who decided to render a “fine” on any boats they found illegaly fishing Somali waters. Well, guess what. Piracy has effectively cut in half tuna hauls for major foreign fishing companies working near Somalia, according to Warships International Fleet Review. [...]
But why are there pirates in Somalia ?…
War Is Boring: Recall that Somali piracy has its roots in the 1990s, when the collapse of the Somali government threw open the doors to major foreign fishing companies to illegally enter Somali waters and fish out all the tuna,……
[...] Related: World Politics Review: Amateurish Foot Soldiers Belie Sophisticated Piracy Networks Piracy War’s Unusual Friends, Tragic Victims NATO General: Piracy Legal Challenge “Complex” Google, Radio Mix for Pirate Early Warning Pirates Smarter, More Dangerous, More Numerous South Park Goes Pirating Coast Guard’s Legal War on Pirates Mental Floss: Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Pirates Somali Pirates versus the Tuna Trade Esquire.com: Five Pirated Crews who Didn’t Fare as Well as the Americans Pirates Seize Ship with U.S. Crew Wired.co.uk: Beating Somali Pirates at Their Own Game Piracy War Escalates: Korean Seafarer Shot in Attack Video: How the Littoral Combat Ship Will Fight Pirates Offiziere.ch: Pirate Attacks Decline, but for How Long? Proceedings: Defeating Somali Pirates on Land Video: Kennedy Mwale’s Big (Pirate) Adventure Who Watches the (Pirate) Watchers? U.S. Navy Uses “Smart Power” to Fight Pirates Exclusive Video: MV Faina Released by Pirates Coast Guard: Prosecuting Pirates an “Excruciating Process” Skewz: On the Trail of Pirates C-SPAN: Somali Piracy Overview Kenyan navy sits out pirate fight Coasties and Marines join Navy pirate-fighters Inside the Navy’s prison ship Video: pirates hijack help World mobilizes to fight pirates Why robots can’t fight pirates Navy’s new “soft” pirate-fighters Pirate-fighting ship’s big problems Japan, South Korea team up to fight pirates Establishing a Somali coast guard? Coast Guard’s tips for beating pirates U.S. Navy Coordinates Counter-Piracy Fleets Pirates Not Just the Stuff of Legends How Pirates Get Paid Axe vs. Pirates: Convoy! Axe vs. Pirates: “I Fear No One but God.” Chinese Seafarers Kick Pirate Ass Kenyan Navy Fires Rhetorical Broadside against Pirates Axe vs. Pirates: Everyday Kenyans Suffering Effects of Somali Piracy Axe vs. Pirates: The Kenya Connection Piracy Threatens Somalia Aid Effort Axe vs. Pirates: The Panic Button Axe vs. Pirates: Scared onto Land by Pirate Close Call Somali Piracy Puts Squeeze on Kenyans Mombasa Looks Like This E.U. Deploying Vessel against Pirates Axe vs. Pirates: Welcome to Mombasa No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]
[...] Related: Navy Prison Ship Dodges Pirate Revenge World Politics Review: Amateurish Foot Soldiers Belie Sophisticated Piracy Networks Piracy War’s Unusual Friends, Tragic Victims NATO General: Piracy Legal Challenge “Complex” Google, Radio Mix for Pirate Early Warning Pirates Smarter, More Dangerous, More Numerous South Park Goes Pirating Coast Guard’s Legal War on Pirates Mental Floss: Ten Things You Didn’t Know about Pirates Somali Pirates versus the Tuna Trade Esquire.com: Five Pirated Crews who Didn’t Fare as Well as the Americans Pirates Seize Ship with U.S. Crew Wired.co.uk: Beating Somali Pirates at Their Own Game Piracy War Escalates: Korean Seafarer Shot in Attack Video: How the Littoral Combat Ship Will Fight Pirates Offiziere.ch: Pirate Attacks Decline, but for How Long? Proceedings: Defeating Somali Pirates on Land Video: Kennedy Mwale’s Big (Pirate) Adventure Who Watches the (Pirate) Watchers? U.S. Navy Uses “Smart Power” to Fight Pirates Exclusive Video: MV Faina Released by Pirates Coast Guard: Prosecuting Pirates an “Excruciating Process” Skewz: On the Trail of Pirates C-SPAN: Somali Piracy Overview Kenyan navy sits out pirate fight Coasties and Marines join Navy pirate-fighters Inside the Navy’s prison ship Video: pirates hijack help World mobilizes to fight pirates Why robots can’t fight pirates Navy’s new “soft” pirate-fighters Pirate-fighting ship’s big problems Japan, South Korea team up to fight pirates Establishing a Somali coast guard? Coast Guard’s tips for beating pirates U.S. Navy Coordinates Counter-Piracy Fleets Pirates Not Just the Stuff of Legends How Pirates Get Paid Axe vs. Pirates: Convoy! Axe vs. Pirates: “I Fear No One but God.” Chinese Seafarers Kick Pirate Ass Kenyan Navy Fires Rhetorical Broadside against Pirates Axe vs. Pirates: Everyday Kenyans Suffering Effects of Somali Piracy Axe vs. Pirates: The Kenya Connection Piracy Threatens Somalia Aid Effort Axe vs. Pirates: The Panic Button Axe vs. Pirates: Scared onto Land by Pirate Close Call Somali Piracy Puts Squeeze on Kenyans Mombasa Looks Like This E.U. Deploying Vessel against Pirates Axe vs. Pirates: Welcome to Mombasa No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]
Pirate used to be the fantastic Prince Charming in many young ladies’ dreams. Pirates are the most romantic men in this world, their chest are full of the wind which blows above the ocean. They have the most wonderful adventure stories to tell us. Around the fireplace, we sat in a circle and the center would be a handsome pirate who would bring us to the place that we have never dream about. Fighting with the monsters from the ocean, singing lonely songs on the deck, drinking with his companies wildly and breaking young ladies’ hearts with a French leave would be the things he always does. As the heroes in Pirates of the Caribbean are all handsome and humors, they are more like the group of legendary heroes than the evil criminals. They strengthen the image of the real men in the ocean and most people almost forget that pirates rob for living.
The pirates near the Somalia coast might have ruined all these dreamful scenes since last year. The pirates are no more the handsome men who wear the khaki rubber wristbands to match their leather coat and boots. They are no more the humor captains who would tell you the most funny or exciting stories about the sailing days. They now are the ones who would kill you in the ocean. I could imagine that picture when the merchant ships meet the pirates’ ships. They would never board the ship politely and take away only the goods and money. The meeting should be bloody and terrible. I almost could hear the scream which has been let out by women and cries of children.
The world in the movies and stories is always the better world than we have now. They carry our best wishes and our most fantastic dreams. If this world could be the one in books…
[...] No, pirates had been active off the Somali coast since the ’90s. At first, to give the devil his due, this was a sort of self-defense, as fishermen fought off foreigners poaching in their waters and seized European boats illegally dumping nuclear waste. Such targets made the freebooters into folk-heroes, and it is one of the two main reasons the pirates have a fair amount of popular support onshore. [...]
is this real Toxic Waste Behind Somali Pirates!